Deconstructing Objectivity

There's nothing objective in proclaiming, "The Mac is the best
computer ever!" Although we may state is as fact and believe it is
true, it is merely opinion.

What Is Truth?

Truth is a nebulous concept, as the journalist, philosopher,
scientist, theologian, social worker, and judge will tell you. Even
assuming our perceptions are accurate (one of many things
philosophers have debated, and an issue examined in the movie, The
Matrix), there are questions of memory and interpretation.

Here's a famous poem about perception and interpretation:

The Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant

John Godfrey Saxe

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
Though all of them were blind,
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approached the Elephant
And, happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me, but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling the tusk,
Cried, "Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis very clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal
And, happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up he spake:
"I see," quoth he, "The Elephant
Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee:
"What most the wondrous beast is like
Is very plain," quoth he;
"Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said, "Even the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can:
This marvel of an elephant
Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong.
Though each was partly in the right,
They all were in the wrong!

Perception and Reality

René Descartes, the French philosopher, thought and
thought and thought about reality. In a nutshell, this is the
foundation of his philosophy: "Have I been deceived? How do I know
my perceptions are accurate? How do I know I am real? If I think,
there must be an 'I' to do the thinking. Cogito ergo sum. I
think, therefore I am. Since I can only know things external to
myself through my perceptions, I must trust them. If my perceptions
are wrong, I have no way of knowing it or of knowing the outside
world." It was a leap of faith, but it was a reasonable leap
(assuming The Matrix is fiction). Without that leap, external
reality is unknowable.

As Descartes makes clear, knowledge of the "real world" comes
via perception. You can count, measure, feel, look at, listen to,
and interact with the world in many ways, but everything is
filtered through the senses. Ultimately, objective reality is
perceived subjectively.

This sometimes leads to a serious philosophical flaw seen often
in the past decade: absolute relativity. This is the idea that
reality is only what we perceive it to be, not something objective
outside of ourselves. However, I believe reality is not subjective;
only our perception of reality is subjective.

We all seek to know the truth - scientists, judges, tax
collectors, journalists, poets, philosophers. We want to perceive
objective reality as accurately as possible. To deny external
reality is to make the universe meaningless, at least to others,
since you become the measure of all things.

Ways of Knowing

I have a PowerBook G4 on my desk.
It takes up space, feels warm, and exists whether I perceive it or
not. Like all things in nature, this computer has many different
aspects.

Numeric. I can count it.

Spatial. It takes up a fixed amount of volume and is in
a specific location.

Economic. This thing has value both as a costly tool and
as a means of creating income.

Aesthetic. The TiBook has a harmonious and pleasing
design.

Legal. The PowerBook G4 is the property of Cobweb
Publishing, Inc., my employer and the publisher of Low End Mac.

That's a very brief overview. Philosopher Herman
Dooyeweerd lists fifteen different aspects that permeate
reality. Dooyeweerd was an expert at deconstructing philosophies
which sold short the richness of creation, starting with the early
Greeks and running through much of the 20th century (he died in
1977).

Although it is not widely known, there is much to commend
Dooyeweerd's Philosophy of the Cosmonomic Idea; it has been shaping
my thinking for 25 years. Unlike a lot of philosophies, it doesn't
disparage everyday thought. It also fully understands the
difference between the subjective and objective side of things.

For instance, objectively the surface of this computer has a
specific temperature, one which may vary from point to point.
Subjectively, it feels cool after it's been shut off for a while
and warm when in use. Parts get downright hot, a subjective
perception that correlates to a fixed range of objectively
measurable temperatures. And the whole philosophy is rooted in the
reality of creation, not in abstract philosopical schemes.

Philosophers and Journalists

Being rooted in this philosophy, I find it frustrating when
journalists and philosophers try to elevate themselves as trained
objectivists merely in search of truth (see
A plea for real journalism and thinking on the Web, which
touches on the subject and inspired this article). Who is worthy of
the title journalist or philosopher?

I've never claimed to be a journalist, but I did take every
writing and journalism course available when I was in college. Nor
do I claim to be a philosopher, although I have studied many
philosophies from the Greek era through much of the 20th century.
I'm just a writer with a B.A. in English, philosophy, and history;
I don't label myself as a journalist or philosopher.

I think that's true of most writers on the Web, whether
reporters on the Mac news sites or the people who post personal
weblogs. We're not full-fledged philosophers or journalists, just
people sharing our thoughts.

But wait, isn't that exactly what philosophers and journalists
do? If all perception is subjective, and interpretation is even
more subjective, then isn't all philosophy and journalism likewise
a subjective interpretation of subjective perceptions of an
objective reality?

What separates journalists, philosophers, judges, theologians,
and the rest from the masses isn't objectivity - it's methodology.
Training doesn't remove our biases; if it did, we would have little
to say that was important. What training does is clarify our
biases, help us understand our personal leanings, and work from
that knowledge. "True knowledge is self-knowledge."

Education, practice, and experience shape our methodology. We
learn to distinguish the subjective from the objective. "How many
people were there that night?" or "How many people did you see
there that night?" are different questions. One assumes the subject
knows the answer, while the other understands that the answer may
be subjective.

That is the point of good journalism and good philosophy. It
realizes its own vested interest, realizes its own subjectivity,
and knows that it cannot be completely objective and unbiased.
Instead of pretending there is no bias, it accepts subjective bias
as the nature of the process. But it also uses its tools to try to
dig deeper into the issues, closer to the reality behind the
perceptions, and cut through the biases of others.

What readers and students need to do is look for those biases
and question them. "Does your living in a large state bias your
perspective on representation in the Senate and Electoral College?"
(It did for my 8th grade civics teacher.) "Does your living in the
United States shape your thinking about political systems in other
countries?" (Count on it.) "Does your using a Mac shape your
attitude toward other computers and those who use them?" (Yep.)

The problem with the press, with our schools, and with the Web
isn't bias; it's pretended objectivity. That said, I respect those
who know their subjectivity and wear it humbly.

As David Schultz notes, for the philosopher and journalist the
craft grows out of the craftsman's nature. "Neither is merely an
activity, they are instead ways of being." Not only does the craft
grow from the craftsman's being, but it is the nature of the
philosopher and journalist to always be thinking, always asking
questions, always seeking to understand and share truth.

It's the subjective, truth-driven individual who writes on the
Web. We bring our worldview, our biases, and our dreams to our
writing. We are interwoven with the words we write; we are never
truly objective.

I'm a politically incorrect, free speech loving, Mac using,
Microsoft fearing, tax disliking, pro-life, tax paying, home
working individual who likes the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,
Star Trek, several types of music, and deflating those who become
puffed up. I wear my biases proudly, respect others for their
biases, and really have a hard time with those who are intolerant
of "biased" speech and writing.

As with journalists, philosophers, judges, and others, I try to
find balance, but I don't confuse that with objectivity. I know
there is an objective reality out there, that I can only perceive
it subjectively, that I make mistakes, and that the perspective of
others will help me better understand the world we live in.

I still think the Mac is the best computer ever made, but I know
that's just a commonly held opinion by some of the wiser residents
of the planet. If it could be objectively proved, Apple would
undoubtedly have a much larger market share.

Further Reading

The
Dooyeweerd Pages, Andrew Basden, 1997-present. A fairly
accessible introduction to the thought of Herman Dooyeweerd.

Dan Knight has been using Macs since 1986,
sold Macs for several years, supported them for many more years, and
has been publishing Low End Mac since April 1997. If you find Dan's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.

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We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.